Poker Night
by JazzyMcWier
Summary: Fairly selfexplanantory. Poker night on Atlantis: what fun! Not neccessarily followup to Movie Night.


A/N: I got this idea sitting around a table, playing poker one night. Warning: sugar plus poker plus Atlantis does not mix. Have fun. (grin)

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"Hey, you're coming, right?" John addressed Rodney after their somewhat intriguing, but undeniably _boring,_ meeting.

"Hmm? To what?" He turned to Sheppard, gathering his laptop together.

"My poker night? I told you earlier. Even Elizabeth is coming. Plus we've got to teach Teyla and Ronon. _And,_ I've got a new deck of cards from our last trip to Earth. What'd'ya say?"

"Uh, sure. I'll be there."

"Cool." John smiled, turning, and walked, no rather _strutted_, out of the briefing room. Rodney felt that John had, once again, lost control of his mind. Looking around, he saw Teyla still in the room, eyeing the doorway appreciatively, if nothing else.

'Ahhh, so the swagger strikes again. John:1, Ronon:0' He smiled evilly to himself, knowing that John was not the only one vying for Teyla's affection.

Trying to make polite conversation, he turned to Teyla, "So. Has Sheppard roped you into this little shindig of his tonight?"

"Yes, Dr. McKay. I believe it will be….interesting."

"To say the least." He thought he saw Teyla half-smirk, but perhaps it was just his over-active imagination.

"I believe it will also be fun. And Colonel Sheppard promised to teach me this game a long time ago. I'm sorry, but if you will excuse me…." She bowed her head, leaving through the automatic doors.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

_Later….._

"Come on in!" John called to the knocking on his door. Ronon's large figure filled the doorway, his face as impassive as ever. "You're late." John gestured to the company seated before him: Elizabeth, Rodney, Teyla, Radek Zelenka and Carson Beckett.

"Sorry," Ronon gave his usual one-word answer, coming to sit with the rest of the group; Teyla and Carson made room between them.

"We were just about to start out with a real man's game-"

"Football?" Teyla asked. Whether she was joking or not was debatable. John looked uncomfortably at Rodney, who was revving up for a very long rant. Cutting him off anxiously, he replied,

"No, seven card stud. Nothing wild. Watch 'n' learn." He winked audaciously at Teyla. "Two to ante."

The hand passed in silence, with some good poker faces and some terrible ones. The rest of the company had folded leaving John, Elizabeth, and Rodney.

"We called you. Show 'em." Elizabeth calmly put her cards down.

"Straight flush, gentlemen. Read 'em and weep." She said smoothly, silkily, collecting her winnings. Groans went up from the men around the table.

"I can't believe I was beat at my own game by _you_!" John lamented. An eyebrow was raised; a head tilted to one side.

"What? You don't think a woman can play poker?" she asked dangerously, almost flirtatiously. Her throaty voice rumbled softly in Rodney's ears so that he very nearly missed her actual words. "My father's poker nights were the social events of the season; they were not to be missed, least of all by his own daughter. I got pretty good, with brandy and the cigars, too. " She finished casually. It was the guys' turn to raise eyebrows.

"Brandy and cigars?" Zelenka asked, with much appreciation in his voice.

"Yes. What, you thought it was just for you boys? Think again." She shuffled the cards expertly, not even looking down. She then passed them to Rodney, who just looked between the deck and Elizabeth.

"What'm _I_ supposed to do with them? It's your turn to deal."

"You're supposed to cut them, Rodney," John rolled his eyes, sighing dramatically.

"Ah, yes, yes." He swiftly cut the cards, his hand lingering slightly as Elizabeth brought hers down to the deck. Not that it hadn't happened before, but this time, for some unknown reason, it was electric as their hands touched. Even John noticed the sparks flying, smirking with the knowledge that Rodney would have to own up very soon.

"So," she swallowed, "Let's play No Peek." She placed one of her chips on either side to Rodney and to Zelenka. At their confused looks, she tried very hard not to roll her eyes. "Side bets," she told them as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Right, let's get going," Rodney flipped over his first card.

"Okay, nice, Queen of hearts. Carson, your turn." And so it went around the table until it was down to Carson and Zelenka. Carson won, leaving John to propose something quite odd:

"In order to teach Teyla more about our culture, I suggest we play either Truth or Dare poker or I've Never poker. We'll go easy and play Risk It. What'd'ya think?"

"How does that work out? You can't play Truth or Dare or I've Never with poker. It wouldn't work." Rodney said feverishly.

"Yes it would. Why? You scared of a little Truth or Dare?" John said tauntingly. Rodney set his jaw harder and lifted his head slightly.

"No. No, of course not. I just think that it wouldn-"

"Oh, chill. It will. Now, how's that for a rhyme?" he smirked and turned to the company. "What d'y'all think?"

"I agree with McKay. I do not think the outcome would be satisfactory." Zelenka put in doubtfully.

"No worries, Z. I've tried it before with an old buddy a' mine and it worked perfectly."

"Z? Why do you call me Z?" Zelenka asked furiously.

"Relax, will ya? It's just a nickname. Okay, back to the topic at hand, should we or shouldn't we? That is the question." He mocked a British accent.

"John, I do not understand." Teyla pulled her eyebrows together in puzzlement.

"It's a phrase." Carson told her kindly, "I think we should play Baseball. That's a fun game, now."

"Yeah, let's do that," Rodney put in, panicked, mostly because John knew things; Rodney didn't know how the Colonel had such sources, but he wasn't about to let others around the table in on things that John shouldn't know in the first place. _Persona_l things, pertaining to a certain female expedition leader sitting to very close to him. Very, _very _close, as a matter of fact. Almost too close, if there was such a thing. No, he couldn't let her closeness or the intoxicating smell that was her (a mixture of coffee and lavender) or her low, slightly husky voice get to him. Shaking his head to clear it, he pulled his mind back to what they were all discussing.

"Fine," John sighed exasperatedly, "Let's play Baseball. But I still say we should play I've Never. It's fun." When no-one else agreed to his plan, he had to give in, "Fine. Fun-suckers." He added under his breath. Teyla chuckled slightly at his tone.

"What are you waiting for, Mr. Dealer? Just deal," Rodney snapped his fingers impatiently. John 'just dealt', taking his sweet time and staring down the scientist, much to the secret delight of Elizabeth, who loved to see him perturbed. He was just so darn cute like that! She knew he'd _hate _her describing him like that, but, hey, it was what it was. Those eyelashes had made many a decision for her in the past, yes indeed. She shook herself away from thoughts of those beautiful eyes back to the game to find Rodney muttering under his breath, no doubt planning how best to get revenge on John. Or discussing what cards he had. She smiled slightly at the thought of beating him again and how hewould react. Oh, being a good poker player was good, of course.But being a woman was better.

Oh, yes, winning was sweet.

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A/N: just for reference, I've never played Turth or Dare/I've Never with poker. Just arandom plot bunny in my head. The plot bunnies made me do it! (points accusingly) Okay, so, the usual: review nicely, please. 


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